CHILD FIND

Child Find is the process of locating, identifying and serving students with disabilities in Cincinnati Public Schools. These students are identified as Child Find as outlined below.

  • The student is enrolled in a CPS elementary or high school:

  • Parents may contact the student’s teacher or the school psychologist to discuss concerns and ask questions about academic and/ or behavioral progress and overall development in comparison to others in the classroom.

  • An inquiry can be accepted from a teacher, parent, or other significant person in the student’s life.

  • The School Intervention Assistance Team (IAT) will consider your request for evaluation and will contact you with questions or need for additional information as your request is considered. Supports and/or interventions may be put in place for your student during this time, if such supports are not already in place

  • Within 30 days, the School Psychologist will ask you to give consent to the evaluation or will notify you formally that the district does not suspect a disability and will not move forward with an evaluation at this time.

The child is enrolled in home schooling:

This student would participate in Child Find through the Nonpublic procedures outlined in the Nonpublic section below.

The child is not enrolled in school:

Children in Ohio are required to attend a school or be home schooled at the age of 6 through the age of 16. The student would need to enroll in a public, private, or home school before an evaluation could be completed.

The child is currently between the ages of 3 and 5:

  • The Preschool Team for Child Find responds to requests for intervention, evaluation, and services for preschool children. The initial referral usually comes from a preschool teacher.

  • There are two preschool teams in Child Find. One is the preschool diagnostic team which receives referrals for preschoolers and the Preschool Headstart Team who receives referrals for students in Headstart who may need intervention or intervention and evaluation.

  • A member of the Preschool team will invite parents and/or teachers to a meeting team to discuss the evaluation and eligibility process. Parents are a critical part of the Child Find team for their child and will participate in the entire process.

  • If the team suspects a disability, a parent will be requested to give consent and the evaluation will be completed within 60 days. At the completion of the evaluation, the Child Find team meets to review the results and possible Special Education service options through CPS.

  • The Preschool Child Find Team will be your contact throughout this process.

Child Find Procedures for Nonpublic Schools:

Students who attend nonpublic schools located within the geographic boundaries of the Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) district are eligible for referral, evaluation and determination of eligibility for special education regardless of the child’s district of residence.

Students who are home-schooled and reside within the CPS district are also eligible for referral, evaluation and determination of eligibility for special education.

For students presently attending a nonpublic school, please submit the following information to request an evaluation by the Child Find Team:

Referrals for special education evaluation may be submitted by a parent, school personnel, or another interested party. All referrals for special education evaluation will be reviewed by the CPS Child Find Team. Upon receiving the referral packet, the team may request additional information. After reviewing all relevant information in the referral packet, the team will determine whether or not a disability is suspected.

    • If a disability is suspected, an evaluation will be completed to determine the student’s eligibility for special education services. A meeting with be held with the parent and the school team to begin the evaluation process. The evaluation will be completed within 60 calendar days from the date of signed parent consent for the evaluation. Once the evaluation is completed, the team will reconvene to determine the student’s eligibility for special education services.

    • If a disability is not suspected, the Child Find Team will send formal written notification regarding their decision.

Questions and Answers for Students Parentally Placed in Nonpublic Schools

1. How do I request a special education evaluation for a student attending a nonpublic school located within the geographic boundaries of the CPS district? Please submit the following information to request an evaluation by the Child Find Team (explain what the team is:

2. How do I submit a referral for evaluation? Referral packets may be sent through the mail, via email, or faxed.

Mail to: Maria Link, Cincinnati Public Schools, Department of Student Services, P.O. Box 5381, Cincinnati, Ohio 45201-5381.

Email to: rossern@cpsboe.k12.oh.us

Fax to: Maria Link at (513) 363-0108.

FORMS

Whose Idea is this?

PR-02 Parent Invitation

PR-04 Referral for Evaluation